Conveying device for match-machines.



0. H. LANDVATTER.

CONVEYING mzvmn r011 MATCH 11110111111211.

APPLICATION FILED 111N327, 1910.

1,004,178. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

4 BHEETB-BHBBT 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGIIAP" C0" VIASNINGNN' D. C.

0. H. LANDVATTER. CONVEYING DEVICE FOR MATCH MACHINES.

AYI'LIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1910.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PMNOORAPH CO. WASHINGTON, D. C.

'0. H. LANDVATTER. CONVEYING DEVICE FOR MATCH MACHINES.

APPLIOATION IILIID JUNE 27, 1910.

Patented Sept. 26,1911.

4 BHBETS-BHBET 3.

Fig.2.

COLUMBIA H-ANOGIAPH CU" WASHINGTON, IL C.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Fig.3;

a C 40mm Patented S11pt.26,1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO H. LANDVATTER, 0F DURLACH, GERMANY, ASSIG-NOR T0 BADISCHE MASCHINEN- FABRIK & EISENGIESSEREI VORMALS G. SEBOLD UND SEBOLD & NEFF, OF DURLACH,

GERMANY.

CONVEYING DEVICE FOR MATCH-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO H. LANDVATTER, a citizen of the Confederation of Switzerland, residing at Durlach, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Conveying Device for Match-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in match machines and analogous apparatus, and has especial reference to the mechanism for conveying the completed matches from the dipping devices to the boxing devices.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved form of conveyor whichwill enable the machine to be operated at maximum capacity with minimum risk of damage or delay.

a A further object of my invention is to dispense with the employment of chains as the conveying means, and to provide a conveyor which is simple and durable in construction and is free from the defects commonly known to inhere in chain conveyors,

The invention consists of the novel structural features and combinations of features hereinafter more fully described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 1 are elevations of the conveying device, parts being shown in section, Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the line A-A in Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 3 is a similar section through the line BB in Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on an enlarged scale through the line CO in Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the left end of the upper trough in Fig. l and shows one long rectangular carrier for the most part in elevation.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Of the frame of the complete match machine only the lower parts of two standards 1, 2 of the dipping device, a part of the base 5 (a rolled U-beam) for supporting them, two legs 3 and 4 and the table 6 of the match boxing device, and separate portions of sundry brackets 7, 8, 9 are shown. In the bracket 7 and in an eye 14 made in one with the table 6 a horizontal shaft 15 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 27, 1910.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 569,016.

is mounted to turn, which has keyed upon it at the ends two rotary transfer devices D, D. On the brackets 7 8 and 9 and on the inner end of a suitable support 20" placed on the table 6 a trough 21 (see Fig. 2) is fastened. Two plates 22 and 23 secured on 'both sides of the support 20 form the continuations of the side walls of the trough 21. A plurality of long rectangular carriers E, E is employed, which are made exactly alike. Each carrier E is in Fig. 5 shown to have four parallel transversely disposed receptacles I, II, III, IV for matches 24, 24. In Fig. 5 a part of the rear wall of the trough 21 is broken away, in order to better show the outlines of the carrier E. The receptacles I, II, III, IV are open on both sides and are each adapted to contain a match box filling and are widened upward, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5, for receiving and pressing together the matches. Each carrier E is provided on the underside at the ends with two opposite notches 25, 25 and on the sides with parallel grooves 26, 26 (Fig. 4). The trough 21 mentioned above serves for guiding the carriers E, E, as can be seen from Fig. 2. The cross section of either rotary transfer device D on the line C-C in Fig. 1 is shown at Fig. 4 and it will be seen, that the rotary transfer device D comprises a long nave 16, an outer system of 6 arms 17 an lnner system of 6 arms 18 and 81K palrs of horizontal opposite guides 19, 19, all these parts being cast in one piece. The guides 19, 19 are adapted to engage in the grooves 26, 26 of any carrier E for holding the latter during the rotation of the rotary transfer device D. On suitable parts of the frame, such as 7, 28, two parallel opposite angleirons 27, 27 (see Figs. 2 and 3) are fastened, which are connected together by a horizontal metal strip 29 and serve for guiding the carriers E, E. A rail 30 suspended from the two angle-irons 27, 27 by means of strips 31, 31 (Fig. 2) and bows 32,10,13 (Fig. 3) and covered with a wooden race 33 serves for supporting the carriers E, E.

A shaft 34 parallel to the one 15 mentioned above is mounted to turn in suitable bearings in the frame and is arranged to be driven from the machine in any known manner. It carries two drums 35, 36 with opposite cam grooves 37, 38, two cam disks 39, 41 and two loose collars with set-screws 40, 42. Two brackets 43, 44 fastened on the base 5 carry two pins 45, 46 respectively, on

which two levers 47, 48 are mounted to rock. The lever 47 carries a pin 49 with a roller 50, which latter engages in the cam groove 37 of the drum 35. In suitable recesses of the brackets 7, 8 and 9(Fig. 2) a long square bar 51 is guided, which is provided with a projection 52, that is pivotally connected with the upper end of the lever 47 by means of a longitudinally adjustable link 53. The other lever 48 carries a pin 54 with a roller 55, which latter engages in the cam groove 38 of the drum 36. In suitable bows 11, 12 (Fig. 2) fastened on the metal strip 29 another long square bar 56 is guided, which is provided with a projection 57, that is pivotally connected with the upper end of the lever 48 by an adjustable link 58. The cam groove 37 of the drum 35 and the ratio of the lever 47 are so proportioned as to give the bar 51 a stroke which is eX- actly like the length of each carrier E. The same is the case with the stroke of the lower bar 56. The upper bar 51 is near its left end in Figs. 1 and 5 provided with a springpressed pawl 59 within a slot 60 of the bar. The pawl 59 is preferably provided with a rear arm 61 adapted to normally bear against a stop 62, so as to prevent the pawl from turning farther upward. The pawl 59 is adapted to engage in the right notch 25 (Fig. 5) of the upper carrier E in the left rotary transfer device D in Fig. 1 at the moment that the bar 51 is brought into its extreme left position in Fig. 1. The lower bar 56 is near its right end in Fig. 1 provided with a spring-pressed pawl, which is similar to 59, only that it is inverted and is. adapted to engage in the left notch 25 of the lower carrier E in the right rotary transfer device D in Fig. 1 at the moment that the bar 56 is brought into its extreme right position. The spaces beneath the guides 19, 19 as shown for the outer arms 17 17 at Fig. 4 are made deeper for the inner arms 18, 18, as is clearly shown at Fig. 1. Thereby the left end of the upper bar 51 is permitted to move forward to the left in Fig. 1 till a point near the outer arms 17, 17, so that its spring-pressed pawl 59 can engage in the notch 25 as explained above. In a similar manner the right end of the lower bar 56 is permitted to move forward to the right in Fig. 1 till a point near the outer arms 17, 17

Evidently the bottom of the trough 21 requires to he slotted at the left end in Fig. 1 for permitting the pawl 59 to freely move during the reciprocating motion of the bar 51 and fora similar reason the metal strip 29 requires to be slotted at the right end in Fig. 1.

A ratchet wheel 63 is keyed upon the shaft 15, while a lever 64 is loose on this shaft and carries a pawl 65 which engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 63. The lever 64 is pivotally connected with a' rod 66, the lower end of which is forked and is guided on the shaft 34 between the cam disk 41 and the loose collar 42. The rod 66 carries a roller 67 which engages in the cam groove of the disk 41. This cam groove is adapted to reciprocate the rod 66 once on every revolution of the shaft 84, and as the ratchet wheel 63 has six teeth, it will be understood, that either rotary transfer device D is turned through an angle of 60 on every revolution of the shaft 84 in the direction of the arrow 68 in Fig. 4.

The trough 21 is made so long that it will contain an even number of the carriers E, E, so that the carrier E on one rotary transfer device D in line with those in the trough will be supported for its whole length by the said rotary transfer device and all; the carriers E E in the whole series will be in contact with one another, so that no play is left between them. The same is the case with the lower series of carriers E E, the two angle-irons 27, 27 and the metal strip 29 having the same length as the trough 21.

On the two standards 1 and 2 two opposite v dipping into the viscous igniting material the splints now turned into matches arein any known manner dried before they arrive at the conveying device. It depends upon the construction of the respective complete match machine, whether the splints 24, 24 are uniformly distributed over the whole length of the carriers 71, 71, or whether they are disposed in groups as shown at Fig. 1.

On the trough 21 a frame 73 is fastened or held, as the case may be, which frame is provided with dividers 74, 74 and hoppers 7 5, =7 5 adapted to collect the matches 24, 24 ejected from the carriers 71, 71 in the following manner. A shaft. 76 (Fig. 2) rocking in the standards 1, 2 carries two arms 77, which are connected tog-ether by a horizontal rod 78. Several levers 79 are pivotally connected with the rod 78 and are adapted to slide on a shaft 80 forming a part of the machine. At the free ends the levers 79 carry a bar 81 parallel to the carriers 71, 71 and provided with ejectors 82. The shaft 76 is in any known manner actuated by the machine, so that the ejectors 82 periodically engage in the holes of the carriers 71, 71

1 on the shaft 34 in the following manner. A

shaft 84 is mounted in the frame to rock and has fastened on it two arms 85 and 86, of

which the arm 85 is pivotally connected with to; connected with a rod 87. The lower end of the slide 83 and the other arm 86 is pivotally the'rod 87 is forked and is guided on the shaft 34 between the cam disk 39 and the loose collar 40. It carries a roller 88, which is adapted to roll on the periphery of the cam disk.

The trough formed by the support (Fig.3) and the side plates 22 and 23 is above closed with a plate 89, which is adapted to consecutively receive the drawers 90, 90 of the match boxes from four juxtaposed magazines 91, 91 of any known construction. The two side walls of the trough 21 are each cut out on four places so as to form openings, which register with the receptacles I, II, III, IV of the carrier E at the end of the trough 21. Four parallel ejectors 92 guided horizontally in suitable supports 93 on the table 6 are adapted to simultaneously eject the matches 24, 24 from the four receptacles I, II, III, IV of the carrier E to chambers 94, in which four pistons 95 are vertically guided for raising the ejected matches and pushing theminto drawers 90,

that have been shifted from the plate 89 by ejectors 96. On the table 6 another table 97 (see Fig. 3) is disposed, which is on a level with the plate 89 and carries four juxtaposed magazines 98 for the casings 99 of .the match boxes and a pair of rolls 100, 100

for pushing the casings 99 over the filled drawers and thus closing the boxes. The

rolls 100, 100 are driven from the machine in any known manner. The lowermost Lcasings 99 in the four magazines 98 can be moved beneath the right rolls 100 by separate ejectors 101. I have illustrated the match boxing device only in its features for the purpose of facilitating the understand ling of the invention, and I desire it to be expressly understood, that I do not bind myself to the construction of the match boxing device, as it forms no part of my invention.

The conveying device described operates as follows: The match carriers 71, 71 of the dipping device are intermittently fed forward in the direction ofthe arrow 72 in Fig. 2 and the matches 24, 24 are ejected from them one series after the other, so that they fall into the hoppers 75, 75. The cam disk 39 is so adjusted as to close by the slide 83 the mouths of the hoppers 75, each' time thatmatches are ejected from the carriers 71, 71, and to afterward open the said mouths for permitting the matches to drop.

I right end of the lower bar 56 moves into the right rotary transfer device D until its.

spring-pressed pawl engages in the left notch 25 of the lower carrier E at the right rotary transfer device D. Then the two bars 51 and 56 are simultaneously moved in ward in opposite directions, so that the spring-pressed pawl 59 of the upper bar 51 will push forward to the right the whole of the upper series of carriers E E extending from the outer end of the left rotary transfer device D to the end of the trough 21, that is to the inner end of the right rotary transfer device D, so that the extreme left carrier E is moved off from the left rotary transfer device D and the extreme right carrier E is moved on the right rotary transfer device D. At the same time the spring pressed pawl of the lower bar 56 will push forward to the left the whole of the lower series of carriers E E extending from the outer end of the right rotary transfer'de: vice D to the end of the two angle-irons 27, 27, that is to the inner end of the left rotary transfer device D, so that the extreme right carrier E is moved off the right rotary transfer device D and the extreme left carrier E is moved on the left rotary transfer device D. As the match carriers 71, 71 of the dipping device are shown to have a length sufficient for simultaneously charg ing the receptacles I, II, III, IV, of three consecutive carriers E E, it is evident that the receptacles of each carrier E are thrice filled during the path along the match carriers 71, 71. In other words, the receptacles of the first left carrier E beneath the charged match carriers 71', 71 will each contain but one charge of matches, while the receptacles of the second following carrier will each contain two charges and those of the third and following carriers three charges of matches. Then the cam disk 41 will by the parts 67, 66, 64, 65 and 63 turn the shaft 15 with the two rotary transfer devices D D through an angle of 60 in the direction of the arrow 68 in Fig. 4, so'that the left rotary transfer device D will move one carrier E into the line of the trough 21 and the right rotary transfer device D will move its freshly received carrier E out of the said line. Thereupon the four ejectors 92 in Fig. 3 will eject the matches from the four receptacles I, II, III, IV of the carrier E beneath the four magazines 91, 91 to the four chambers 94 and the four ejectors 96 will eject the drawers 90, which have dropped from'the magazines 91, 91, from the plate 89 to the top faces of the chambers 94. Afterward the four pistons 95 will raise the matches 24 and press them into the drawers 90, whereupon the four ejectors 96 will eject the filled drawers 90 from the top face of the boxes 94 to the table 97. Here the drawers 90 are held in any known manner (not shown), while the four ejectors 101 eject the lowermost casings 99 from the four magazines 98 beneath the right rolls 100 in Fig. 3, so that the latter can push the casings 99 over the drawers 90 and thus close the filled match boxes. From the construction described of the rotary transfer devices D D it follows, that after three revolutions of the shaft 34 the upper carrier E which has been moved on the right rotary transfer device D in Fig. 1' will be brought into the line of the lower series, whereupon it can be moved off the right rotary transfer device by the spring-pressed pawl of the lower bar 56. After further three revolutions of the shaft 34 the extreme left carrier E, which has been moved on the left rotary transfer device D, will have been moved around by the latter and brought into the line of the upper series.

It is obvious, that the length of each carrier E will be practically not altered by the wear and tear, so that the length of the whole series of carriers in the trough above as well as that of the whole series of carriers below will practically remain invariable. Only the spring-pressed pawls 59 of the two bars 51 and 56 are subject to the wear and tear, but it is easy to make them from the best hardened steel so that they will last for a long time, and it is further easy to readjust the links 53 and 56 from time to time in order to insure an exact working of the whole machanism. When worn off, the pawls can be'exchanged for fresh ones. In this manner the exactitude of the operation of the mechanism is guaranteed for an extremely long time, so that the new conveying device is far superior to the old endless chain.

Obviously the conveying device described can also be applied to those complete match machines, in which the matches ejected from the carriers of the dipping device fall into drawers of the boxes and are then at once pushed with the drawers into the casings. In this case the magazines 91, 91 shown at Fig. 1 may be left on their place, so that they are in any known manner adapted to simultaneously drop the lowermost drawers 90 into the receptacles I, II, III, IV of any carrier E, the bottoms of the drawers being turned downward so that the drawers are ready to receive the matches through the hoppers 75, of the frame 78. The mechanism is so modified, that the carriers E E of the upper series are intermittently moved from right to left and those of the lower vare shown to be cast in one piece with the base of the carrier, but it is evident, that the receptacles may be made separate and exchangeable if so preferred.

The conveying device can be varied in many respects without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with upper and lower guideways, of article feeding mechanism adapted to discharge over one of said guideways and having a plurality of discharge openings, a series of independent juxtaposed article carriers normally resting motionless in each of said guideways, a rotary transfer device arranged in proximity to the ends of each guideway, independent means acting respectively on one end carrier in each guideway for moving the entire series of carriers as a unit and advancing the carrier opposite the end acted upon by said means into the adjacent transfer device, means for simultaneously disclosing the discharge openings in the feeding mechanism whereby a predetermined quantity of articles is simultaneously fed to all the carriers in line with the feeding mechanism, and means for rotating said transfer devices whereby said carriers are successively transferred from one guideway to the other.

2. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with upper and lower guideways, of article feeding mechanism adapted to discharge over one of said guideways, a series of independent juxtaposed article carriers normally resting motionless in each of said guideways, each of said carriers being adapted to receive and retain a plurality of separated charges of articles, a rotary transfer device arranged in proximity to the ends of each guideway, independent means acting simultaneously on one carrier in each series to advance both series as a whole and force one carrier of each series into one of the rotary transfer devices,

means whereby said feeding mechanism disinto all the carriers in line therewith after each advance of said series, and means for rotating said transfer devices whereby said carriers are successively transferred from one guideway to the other.

3. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with upper and lower guideways, each being provided with a slot through one wall thereof, of a series of article carriers adapted to be moved in said guideways, each article carrier having opposed notches in one of its walls, and means adapted to pass through the slots in the guideway and into the notches in the carriers for moving the latter in the guide ways.

4. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with an upper and lower guideway, each thereof having a slot formed therein, a series of article carriers adapted to be moved in said guideways, each said carrier having its lower face provided with a pair of opposed notches, and means for advancing the carriers in the guideways, said means comprising a reciprocable bar having a spring pressed pawl adapted to pass through the slot in the guideway and engage one of the notches in the carrier.

5. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with an upper and a lower guideway, each thereof having a slotted wall, of article feeding mechanism adapted to discharge over the upper guideway a series of article carriers movable in the guideways, and each article carrier having its lower wall provided with opposed notches, means for advancing said carriers in the guideways, said means comprising a reciprocable bar having a pawl adapted to engage one of the notches in one of the carriers when said rod is in a predetermined position, and means whereby said article feeding mechanism is caused to discharge predetermined quantities of articles in the article carriers in the upper guideway.

6. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with an upper and a lower guideway, of a series of article carriers adapted to be advanced in said guideways, each said article carrier having a pair of opposed notches in its lower wall, article feeding mechanism adapted to discharge predetermined quantities of articles into the carriers in the upper guideways, means for advancing the article carriers in the guideways, said means comprising a reciprocable bar carrying a normally inactive pawl which is adapted to become active and engage one of the notches in one of the carriers, and a rotary transfer device at the ends of each guideway whereby the said carriers are adapted to be transferred from one guideway to the other.

7. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with upper and lower oppositely directed guideways, the opposed walls of the respective guideways being partially slotted, of a series of article carriers movable in each guideway, each said article carrier having a pair of opposed notches in its lower face, a reoiprocable bar slidable along the slotted wall of each guideway, a pawl carried by each bar and being in inoperative position until said pawl is in line with the slot in the guideway, means for reciprocating said bars to advance the article carriers in the guideways, and rotary transfer devices whereby the article carriers are transferred from one guideway to another.

8. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with the machine frame and driving shaft'journaled therein, of upper and lower guideways carried by the machine frame, a series of article carriers adapted to be advanced in said guideways, each said article carrier having a pair of opposed notches on its under face, a reciprocable bar having a spring pressed cam for entering said notches and advancing the article carriers in each guideway, cams carried by the driving shaft for reciprocating said bars, a second shaft arranged intermediate the pair of guideways, rotary transfer devices carried at the extremities of said second shaft, and means on the main shaft for revolving said second shaft wit-h its rotary transfer devices, whereby the article carriers are transferred from one guideway to the other.

9. In a conveying device for match-machines, the combination with a frame, of a horizontal shaft mounted in said frame to turn, two troughs secured in said frame above and below said shaft, two rotary transfer devices fastened at the ends of said shaft in proximity to the ends of said two troughs, carriers of like length and shape and each comprising a plurality of receptacles open on the sides, each carrier having on the sides of its base grooves and on the underside two notches and being adapted to slide in said two troughs, each of said two troughs being adapted to contain an even number of said carriers, each of said two rotary transfer devices having a plurality of parallel pairs of opposite ribs which are adapted to periodically come into the line of either of said two troughs and to engage in the grooves of any said carriers, two bars guided in said frame beneath the upper trough and above the lower trough, the upper bar being provided at one end with a spring-pressed pawl for engaging in one notch of any carrier and adapted to engage with this end in one rotary transfer device and the lower bar being provided at the opposite end with a spring-pressed pawl for engaging in the other notch of any carrier and adapted to engage with this end in the other rotary transfer device, a ratchet wheel fastened on said shaft, a lever rocking on said shaft and carrying a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet Wheel, a cam shaftthe cam grooves of said tWo cam drums for mounted in said frame to turn and adapted simultaneously reciprocating said tWo bars to be driven from the machine, a cam disk in opposite directions. 7 fastened on said cam shaft and adapted to OTTO H. LANDVATTER.

actuate said lever, tWo cam drums with op- Witnesses: positely disposed cam grooves fastened on ERNEST L. IVES, said cam shaft, and means operated from W. W. SCHMIDT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Paten Washington, D. C. 

